Paper Plane came to life in 2014 when Laura designed a few Christmas cards to sell in our previous brand's notonthehighstreet store. A local shop took a few of each from us and sold out the same day, so we thought we were probably on to something. We launched an Etsy store and began planning new designs.
A few cards became a few prints and then a few mugs and soon we were spending every evening making and packing. The dining room of our rented farm cottage became Paper Plane HQ. The kitchen table was home to a heat press, piles of boxes stacked up behind the sofa and our lunch breaks were spent in the post office queue.
In January 2016, we took a big leap into the unknown, exhibiting at Top Drawer. It's crazy to look back at how little we knew about the world of wholesale. At that show we had to learn and adapt on the spot, met load of buyers – some of whom still buy from us today – and made new friends in what is an incredibly welcoming industry.
Our products were a hit on notonthehighstreet. We were featured on their social media channels and in promotional campaigns. We were even invited to be a part of the partner panel, on stage at the annual partner event. It was terrifying – look at our view of the audience! – but ultimately rewarding and a huge step in our journey.
After a few years of growing sales on Etsy, we were invited to act as mentors to a group of 300 fellow sellers, with a focus on product photography. We also formed a local Etsy Team, hosted our area's first ever Etsy Christmas market, and attended the Etsy Team Captains Summit.
Like many online businesses, lockdown proved to be a busy time for us. Despite having moved Paper Plane out of our house, and into a former village shop, we found ourselves needing more space. Our landlord had a storage barn available and gave us the go-ahead to convert it into a new studio and storage space.
Little did we know, back in 2016, that we would get a taste for trade shows. They're exhausting and stressful but also massively exciting and great chance to catch up with some of our favourite people. Since late 2024 we've taken a break from shows to focus on online wholesale marketplaces, but who knows what the future will bring?
